13. In the Midst of Life We Are in Death / Autumn Cold -Rain from the Stars

- Review -

I start the New Year reviews off with a classic, which has
recently been reissued. Northaunt inevitably drove the ambient scene forward
during the 1990’s and to this day still gives the world some amazing
soundscapes, a band indeed worthy of recognition.

This dark Norwegian Hærleif Langås has given us ominous sounds for over a
decade now, beginning with the ironically named Ominous Silence (2001), and three years’ experience afterwards,
unleashed onto the world the album Barren
Land (2004). This was the beginning of true haunting ambience, along with
Atrium Carceri and Kammarheit. Most recently Barren Land was reissued in 2013 in a digipack format, which I was
lucky to get my hands on.

Those familiar with the genre will already expect the sound Northaunt has
to offer. But this really was my first time listening to Hærleif’s project, and
I’m completely frozen solid now. This music is just cold, shivering, conjuring
a bleak icy wasteland, you simply fall into it, and it’s mesmerizing. It’s a
signature minimalist approach, heavily relying on field recordings, and for
someone inexperienced this could go terribly wrong… sometimes recordings just
don’t sit right with the rest of the music, or the atmosphere. But Northaunt,
my god Northaunt have done this flawlessly, Hærleif has created what could be
the most isolating album ever, the atmosphere is so thick… it drowns you
(though very gently, it still has an airy whiff to it).

The only other band I can think of who can make music which literally
freezes you is Parhelion, but with the history behind Northaunt, Barren Land is beyond anything else. For
me there are three standout songs, and coincidentally they all follow one
another on the album, ‘A Silent Battle’, ‘Kapp Farvel’ and ‘Whiteout’, listen
to these and you will truly understand the nature of this album, and Northaunt
itself.